Very nice small town library, friendly people dedicated to keeping the library alive. I can't…read moreimagine complaining about a local library since most towns don't even have one but I had to respond since the main review complains about being called too many times.

Comically inefficient. A person named Matthew, either a volunteer or employee, repeatedly calls…read moreand e-mails me about an issue that was resolved a month ago. Apparently Matthew listens to a month-old voicemail message day after day, and falsely believes it is a new voicemail message each day. He then responds to the "new" voicemail message by contacting me to tell me the same thing he's told me multiple times and that has been resolved. It's like a "Groundhog Day" time loop which would be comical if it wasn't a complete waste of time and money. Taxpayers pay for the library. I contacted the director, Sharon Sharry, who didn't address the issue but rather relied on Matthew's delusions in defending him and her inefficient library.

The Forbes Library in Northampton, Massachusetts, was established through the will of Judge Charles…read moreEdward Forbes, who died in 1881. He left $220,000 to the city to create a public library that would be free and accessible to all residents. Construction began in 1893, and the library opened in 1894. The building was designed by architect William Brocklesby in the Richardsonian Romanesque style, using Longmeadow brownstone and fireproof steel framing. It remains one of the most architecturally distinctive civic buildings in western Massachusetts. Judge Forbes was not related to the Forbes family associated with Forbes magazine or the well-known Forbes millionaire rankings. His wealth came from investments in the New Haven and Northampton Canal and later in railroads. He lived modestly, never married, and rented rooms in town. His legacy was civic rather than commercial, focused on education and public access to knowledge. The library also houses the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum, reflecting its deep ties to local and national history. So while the name might suggest a connection to publishing or wealth, the Forbes Library stands as a monument to quiet generosity and intellectual accessibility. Beyond the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Museum, the Forbes Library offered a warm, welcoming space filled with quiet nooks, curated art displays, and shelves that seemed to stretch endlessly with local history, fiction, and research materials. We explored the main reading room, where natural light poured through tall windows and the original woodwork lent a sense of timeless dignity. A rotating exhibit near the entrance showcased regional artists, while tucked-away corners revealed archival maps and Northampton memorabilia. The elevator made it easy to reach the upper floors, ensuring that the library's resources and charm were accessible to everyone, regardless of mobility. [Review 1135 of 2025 - 1276 in Massachusetts - 24688 overall]

You know me and Libraries; can't keep me out of them!! and this one I daresay is my favorite in the…read moreWestern Mass area. Ok, ok, it's not just because Paco the vegetarian Pirahna is here. The building itself is an architectural marvel. There's something about this beautiful building that's up on the hill, surrounded by large oaks. It's as if the leaves billowing in the wind beckon you to: "please come in." There's just something about where this building is situated that exudes peace and tranquility. You'll see that others feel the same in the reviews. If you follow Forbes on Instagram, you'll not only see that it's active with events, but a lot of them strive to help the community. They have an upcoming event where they'll have clothes, shoes and general business attire available for people who are looking to get a job. I can't think of any other library that does that. To further expand on that note; they lend out musical instruments. You read right; you can borrow musical instruments here. I'm not sure what details are involved but I personally found that to be incredible, and a show of the willingness to go the extra mile for the community. Yes, you do have to pay for parking here. I know that sounds off putting, but there is a sign on the property that says the proceeds help the library and their programs. Besides, I think a dime gives you 20 minutes time so it's extremely cheap. Keep up the good work Forbes! You definitely have admirers.

I have no idea if the library is open to the public, but it was certainly open for me. I was here…read morefor three hours this afternoon where I found a study carrel and was able to spread out two laptops and get some work done. This is definitely a "quiet" space. I got shushed once and had to move to another place for a Zoom meeting even though I was not loud at all. Okay, I get it. Street parking nearby is metered only unless you have a Smith College parking pass. [Review 18427 overall - 1145 in Massachusetts - 1949 of 2022.]

Having completed my Masters here at Smith College I spent the better part of my summers either…read morestudying here or napping...usually napping. This library is a great place to study and the overall atmosphere is great. The staff is extremely polite and helpful and the study areas are built for long haul sessions. Overall, I have spent a lot of time here as well as the UMASS library and I have to say that this one holds a special place in my heart.

Personal help finding things. Kind and experienced staff is super helpful. They reserved a book…read moreat another library and it was sent to Lilly library for me to check out. -For my book club. Computers available. Love the free Summer concerts just steps away on Thursdays.

From the owner: Lilly Library serves traditional and modern library user's needs. Come check out books, movies,…read moremusic, magazines & more. We also have ebooks and digital audiobooks available on our digital catalog. Find out about storytimes, book clubs for new readers, teens, and mystery lovers, as well as movie show times and other exciting programming on our website.

My alma mater is one of the other 4 colleges in the area but I did take a class her as part of the…read more5 college consortium. My oldest followed 2 generations and went to that school as well but my middle son marches to the beat of a different drum. So I was not too surprised when he applied to Hampshire College. My son was very carrot and stick orientated so very focused on grades and he was accepted to 9 of the 10 schools he applied for ... RPI being one of his top two choices with Hampshire being the other. I was intrigued how he would deal with a evaluation based classes. He has adjusted pretty well. So far I am thrilled with his experience and he seems to be fitting right in.

I attended Hampshire from Fall 94-98. Bridging the years where Hampshire went from the grads who…read moretook 10 years to get a diploma (LOTS of "student sabbaticals" which weren't allowed after some school changes) and the "new kids" who fell under stricter guidelines. Pre-2000, a lot of Hampshire students were left with a "sink or swim" style of education. The faculty were amazing (Marion was excellent with Tai Chi and other classes and the outdoor programs were excellent, David Kerr and others were supportive and definitely helped me stay on track. Being one of a small number of financial aid students, the feeling at the beginning of each year was incredibly stressful (if you couldn't prove you had the funds, sometimes making the difference up in cash before matriculation, you couldn't start the school year). Financial stresses aside, it was one of the best times of my life. Hampshire College gave me insights into the way I work and strengthened my belief in self worth and my ability to achieve whatever I set myself up to do. Hampshire is a direct reason why I was able to take more risks after college, pay off a tremendous amount of debt in just a few years (yeah business consulting!) and achieve a lot of the successes I have now. I learned the undergrad education wasn't so much about what I studied, but how I set goals, researched, learned, and achieved whatever I set out to do. Those lessons have given me more than any piece of lambskin was worth. Yes - there were Hipsters at Hamp before Hipsters were a "thing" and there will continue to be the trust-fund babies who opt to float through four years of f-ing around and not really doing anything but spend money and get high. There are more, way more, motivated students who are pushing themselves to be more than what most colleges and universities expect. I'd argue there are more alumni from Hampshire (graduates or drop outs) who've succeeded because they were real examples of what a Hampshire student is - motivated, dedicated, self-assertive, risk-taking, and willing to fail several times to achieve success at whatever they're doing than there are from other more "normal" schools. I loved Hampshire and while it still definitely needs to improve its alumni relations, it's a constant work in progress and it's great to see awesome kids coming and going from there still...

I moved to this area in part because of all the bookstores, and sadly over the years have seen many…read moreof them close. While many are fine, Grey Matter, Troubadour, and Federal Street Books in Greenfield are the three I return to again and again. Now that Troubadour and Grey Matter merged their stock (sort of), this has really become a can't-miss stop. If the Montague Book Mill is "Books You Don't Need in a Place You Can't Find," Grey Matter is "Books You Don't Want to Miss, in a Location that You Might." I never have enough time to check out all I need to check, and I always come away with a great find, and a great deal. Add to that the quirky humor and smarts of the owner and staff... Oh, just go!

3rd stop today on my "Used bookstore trail in MASS" journey. This was the largest book shop I…read morestopped at today, unfortunately, I couldn't find anything interesting to purchase. As other Yelpers have stated, this store is packed with "inventory of every genre and subject", but just nothing for me. On a side note, I'm almost happy I didn't buy anything here today. The clerk was sitting at a desk right near the front entrance, no acknowledgement of me entering or leaving the place. Would it hurt you to say, "Hello" ? Sorry, lack of customers skills irks me a bit. Anyway, got back in the vehicle and headed to the next Used bookstore !

I ordered a NAS record for my son online and visited the store on a busy Saturday, just before…read moreChristmas. I took some time to look for books on cloud computing, but I found the technology section to be somewhat limited. When I wanted to find another book, I approached the customer service desk, where a young lady was very helpful in assisting me. The checkout process took a bit longer than I anticipated, which was understandable given the holiday rush. I did feel that the prices were quite high, especially compared to what I usually find on Amazon. However, I would consider returning if I need to make another purchase.

Store is neat and clean. Typical Barnes and Noble style. Laid back and relaxing. Service was…read morepretty slow. Value is that you can do better online. Selection is good.

During the pandemic, I basically didn't go above the second floor of any building. You don't…read morerealize how comparatively low that is to the ground until you're 24, 25 stories in the air looking down at the huge campus below like it's a doll set. This is a HIGH building, and we came just to see the DuBois center. It is not as interactive as I suspect it will be one day under the guidance of assistant director Adam Holmes. He was kind enough to talk to us for a few minutes about DuBois, and I've learned his original homestead was in Great Barrington. I look forward to coming back, and hopefully Mr. DuBois will be given the expansive display he deserves.

The DuBois Library is 26 stories tall, with an incredible view of a good portion of the Pioneer…read moreValley at about the 22nd/23rd floor (and a good place to work while checking out that view). It's an incredible feat, and quite awesome too. There's also a basement, and a coffee area. It's also open 24/7. From a personal standpoint, I basically lived here in the Spring of 2006, as my first graduate school experience was winding down. So I have that too.

My 16 year old son and I came on a hot day in August 2022 for the 10:00am information session and…read more11:15am campus tour. This is a top-notch small liberal arts college (about 1,800 students come from 49 states and other countries) with a gorgeous campus. The hilltop view of the Connecticut River in the distance is worth the visit! The campus has a nice mix of architectural styles with a world-class natural history museum. Afterwards, getting lunch in the town of Amherst was convenient - the proximity of restaurants in town within walking distance is a plus for Amherst students. Amherst still requires KN95 mask wearing for indoor building access and requires you to show your COVID-19 vaccination card. If you don't like this policy, that may be a sign that Amherst College is not for you. In any case, it's well worth a stop here if you're looking at small liberal arts colleges. One star is removed for not having a short restroom break during the tour. Also, the information session auditorium was difficult to find and about a 10 minute walk from the admissions office.

What a beautiful campus!!! This is rated among the top three liberal arts college on the national…read morelevel! This College was a lot better than I expected.I went to an information session and campus tour to learn about the college for my daughter. What I learned was that they have an open curriculum and they focus on undergraduate studies and accept a student body of 1800. Their financial aid is based not on a merit system it's based on finances. The campus has newly built science center and they have the most incredible Beniski Natural Sciencecience museum!!! I didn't have a chance to go ahead and look throughout the entire museum but this is definitely on my list to come backbut they had a huge skeleton of a mammoth and that already made me fall in love with this museum. They had a great student center which house a lot of movie nights and other cool things on campus. There ihave one dedicated food Hall of the Valentine because the person who cooks there is named Valentine... I think. And they have an amazing athletic center which a humongous track and field which is the state of the yard. They have new dorms for upperclassmen and the underclassmen resides in the center square.I definitely think it's worth visiting they also have arts museum to which I didn't have a chance to look at but again I'm on my list to visit. Also this is a very inclusive College.